The Textbook Dilemma: Digital or Print? Evidence from a Selected US University

Abstract

The increasing price of textbooks impacts students of higher education in the world. E-textbooks are becoming popular among students at all levels of education, especially at the university level. There is a shift in students reading habits and preferences towards e-textbooks. This growing trend has encouraged researchers to gather information about students' experiences, attitudes, and perceptions regarding using e-textbooks and their impact on the learning process. This study surveys undergraduate students in a small mid-western university in the USA. Data is collected from students studying four different colleges. A total of 346 questionnaires were collected. The findings revealed that 34.39% of the current users in the total sample do not want to use e-textbooks in the future. The predominant factors influencing the adoption of e-textbooks over print textbooks are cost, learning and engagement in interactive exercises, convenience, and flexibility. The study suggests some initiatives that educators, technology experts, designers, and universities can take for more students to adopt a digital version of textbooks to solve the problem of affordability.